The Ultimate OS Options

[CodeKing]

Please post all your comments about Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, and any other OS you can think of. I wanted to boot Windows off the list (Those blue screens of death ), but I decided against it. Here's my comments on the OS's

Windows
Pros:
Very accessible
Good for a non-computer-guru

Cons:
Blue screen of death
Programmers Hell

function windows()
{
freeze();
freeze_some_more();
blue_screen_of_death();
attempt_to_stop_viruses_with_sucky_security();
fail_to_stop_viruses_with_sucky_security();
shut_down_and_never_start_up_again();
}

Linux

Pros:
FREE!
Programmers heaven

Cons:
Bad for non-computer-gurus

Mac:
Pros:
Nice design

Cons:
Unaccessible (I like that right click )

Solaris: Never seen a solaris computer before.

[jimlongo]

Mac:

Cons:
Unaccessible (I like that right click )

I will only comment on this mistake. Macs have both right clicks (if you prefer 2 button mice)and control clicks otherwise.

[CodeKing]

OK, I'll fix that:

MOST macs have no right click.

[Darin McGrew]

For me, a big pro for Windows and Mac is that I can get tax software for them, and a big con for Linux is that I can't. And the last I heard, even the web-based tax systems would deny you access if your browser's user-agent string indicated that you weren't using Windows or a Mac.

[Tom H.]

For my work as a web author and IT support person, the current Mac OS best supports the tools I use daily:

• My preferred HTML text editor, BBEdit
• Built-in Apache web server with PHP support
• Geeky Unix tools like perl, ssh, curl and tcpdump built in, and the ability to easily compile many more
• Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection, for administering Windows servers

I use various flavors of Windows in my work, too, and find they are much improved in recent years. I happily administer various Unix-type machines, but I've never liked their GUIs enough to use them as workstations. (With the exception of IRIX, which unfortunately had security problems.)

Security is an important facet of my job, and the Mac OS is excellent in that regard.

[jimlongo]

All Macs since about 1997 have right-click capability. The thing is that the mouse supplied from the factory is a one-button mouse. You have to hold the Control key to get the contextual menu to pop up. This is another misconception about Macs, right up there with "you can't get any good software", and "didn't Microsoft buy Apple for $150million dollars?".

The thing I like about Macs is the better looking more sensible UI - aesthetics are important to me since I have to stare at it for very long days.. Really nicely designed hardware. That and the fact that in my profession (audio/music) nearly all good software is primarily Mac based.
There's also the issue of standards, as opposed to you know who's constant stance of trying to subvert standards when it suits their business purpose.

I don't have know any Windows stuff, haven't used it since Windows 3.1 - but I do own a Xbox360 (I can connect to my Macs through freeware). Funny that this thing is a dual G5 powered, hot, noisy fan box, while Macs have now all gone Intel. Right now all my Macs are G3,4,5s, but I suspect that in 2 years they will all be Intel based.

[Peter1968]

I know most Mac users are used to playing hand gymnastics, but when they try a 2 or 3 button mouse, they wonder how they ever lived without one.

I personally have no pro or con issues with any OS. If it does what I want it to do without obtrusion then I'm happy.